Irrigating-catheter.



U. A. RUFLIN.

IRRIGATING CATHETER.

APPLICATION FILED APR. 30, 1912.

1 ,O45,326, Patented N0v.' 26, 1912.

7M'4esses: jzvenzar.

coLummA PLANOGRAPH couwAst-lmc'roN, n c.

CHARLES A. RUFLIN, OF LOUISVILLE, OHIO.

IRRIGATING-CATHETER.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, CHARLES A. RUFLIN, a citizen of the United States, residing at Louisville, in the county of Stark and State of Ohio, have invented a new and useful In rigating-Catheter, of which the following is a specification.

My invention relates to improvements in instruments for irrigating cavities and canals or passages of the body, and especially to an irrigating catheter adapted to cause a return flow of all the irrigating liquid on the exterior of said catheter, thereby bringing said liquid into most intimate contact with the mucous membrane of the cavity irrigated.

The objects of the invention are to generally improve instruments of the character indicated; to provide an irrigating catheter peculiarly adapted for irrigation of the urethra; to bring the liquid used into most efiective contact with the surfaces to be irrigated; to provide for the control of the irrigating streams; and to produce constant, positive out-flowing of the liquid between the walls of the cavity and the exterior of the instrument. These objects, together with other objects apparent to those skilled in the art, may be attained by the construction illustrated in the accompanying drawings, although the invention may be embodied in other forms, the construction illustrated being chosen by way of example.

In the drawings, Figure 1 is a side elevation of an irrigating catheter constructed in accordance with my invention, a portion of the same being broken away to reduce the length of the figure. Fig. 2 is an enlarged longitudinal section of the head end of the catheter. Fig. 3 is a transverse section on the line 33 of Fig. 2. Fig. 4 is a transverse section on the line 4.4 of Fig. 2. Fig. 5 is a perspective view of the head end of the catheter.

Throughout the several views similar numerals of reference indicate similar parts.

The catheter is preferably formed of the best quality of tough, pliable rubber such as is commonly employed for similar surgical instruments and, generally speaking, comprises a tube closed at the one end by the integral conoidal head 1 and provided at the other end with an enlarged attaching portion 2, such as is commonly provided 5 upon catheters, by which attachment may be Specification of Letters Patent.

Application filed April 30, 1912.

Patented Nov. 26, 1912.

Serial No. 694,203.

readily made to the tube of a fountain syringe or the like.

Internally the catheter is provided with a cylindrical cavity 3 extending from the attaching portion 2 forwardly throughout the length of the catheter proper and into the head 1 for a portion of its length. Externally, it should be noted, that the base of the head 1 is of a diameter equal to the greatest external diameter of the main body of the instrument. An annular depressed distributing channel 4: extends around the catheter at the base of the conoidal head 1 and a plurality of longitudinal depressed return flow channels 5 extend from said channel 4 to the attaching portion 2 where they are discontinued, as shown at 6 in Fig. 1.

At points in the channel 4 intermediate the ends of the channels 5 the apertures 7 extend into the cavity 3; hackwardly spaced from said apertures 7, apertures 8 are arranged in the channels 5 and extend into said cavity.

To prevent the catheter from being unduly weakened by arranging the groove 4: and apertures 7 at the base of the head 1, the cavity 3 is reduced in diameter from the point where the apertures 8 are arranged to the front-end thereof, as clearly illustrated in Fig. 2. This formation of said cavity together with the extension of said cavity beyond the annular groove 4 serves to increase and equalize the hydrostatic pressure of the irrigating liquid, the apertures 8 being arranged at the forward end of that portion of the cavity having the greater diameter and the apertures 7, requiring a smaller supply, being in the portion of smaller diameter. It will be apparent that upon attaching the end 2 of the catheter to a fountain syringe or the like provided with irrigating liquid, streams of said liquid will be projected laterally from the apertures 7 and 8 with substantially equal force.

lVhile, as hereinabove indicated my invented catheter is adapted for many other uses which need not be suggested herein to those skilled in the art, it is peculiarly adapted for irrigating the bladder and urethra of males, in the treatment of dis eases affecting those parts.

In the irrigation of the urethra the same involuntarily contracts around the catheter in such way as to cause a somewhat snug sliding fit of said catheter within the urethral cavity. By reason of such contraction around the base of the head 1 the irrigating liquid is absolutely prevented from any forward movement beyond said head. The liquid flowing out from the apertures 7 is distributed annularly, flowing within the channel 4 and discharging therefrom into the channels 5. This liquid is augmented by the liquid which flows out from the apertures 8 and continues to flow backward within the channels 5 and in contact with the adjacent walls of the urethra. It should be noted that by reason of the transverse disposition of the streams from the apertures 7 and 8 the irrigating liquid is directed toward all pockets or recesses in the walls of the urethra containing infection and is enabled to eflectively cleanse the same.

As the irrigation progresses the catheter may be withdrawn, it being permitted to remain stationary from time to time, however, for the purpose of thorough treatment of areas more seriously affected. Under all conditions, however, it should be noted, the direction of flow of the liquid from the diseased surface is outward and never inward beyond the base of the conoidal head of the catheter. It should also be noted that all of the liquid is brought into contact with the walls of the cavity irrigated and the outward flow can not be interrupted even under the pressure of constriction of the urethra, the depressed external channels 5 permitting freedom of exit at all times.

I claim:

1. An irrigating catheter comprising a flexible tubular body of substantially uniform external diameter from end to end, said body provided externally adjacent one of its ends with an annular groove depressed below the general outer surface of said body and extending around said body, said body also provided externally with similarly depressed, longitudinal grooves leading from said annular groove and extending through out the greater portion of the length of said body and said body also provided intermediate the ends of said longitudinal grooves with apertures leading from the bottom of said annular groove into the internal cavity of the catheter.

2. An irrigating catheter comprising a flexible tubular body portion, a head closing the internal cavity of said body portion at one end thereof, said body portion provided externally with an annular groove extending around said body portion adjacent said head and depressed below the general outer surface of said body portion, said body portion also provided with similarly depressed longitudinal grooves leading from said annular groove throughout the greater portion of the length of said body, and said body also provided with apertures leading from said annular groove into the internal cavity of the catheter.

8. An irrigating catheter comprising a flexible tubular body portion provided with a conoidal head equal in its greatest external diameter to the external diameter of said body portion and closing the internal cavity thereof at one end, said body portion provided externally with an annular groove depressed below the general out-er surface of said body portion and extending around said body portion at the base of said head, said body portion also provided with longitudinally disposed, similarly depressed grooves extending from said annular groove for the greater portion of the length of said catheter and said body portion provided with apertures leading from said annular groove and from said longitudinal grooves into the internal cavity of said body portion.

4:. An irrigating catheter comprising a flexible tubular body portion, an integral conoidal head closing the internal cavity of said body portion at one end, said body port-ion provided externally with a depressed annular groove extending around said body portion adjacent said head and with a plurality of longitudinal depressed grooves opening into said annular groove, said body portion also provided at points intermediate the forward ends of said longitudinal grooves with apertures leading from said annular groove into the internal cavity of said catheter and with apertures leading from said longitudinal grooves into the internal'cavity of said catheter.

5. An irrigating catheter comprising a flexible tubular body portion provided with an integral conoidal head at one end thereof, said body portion provided externally with an annular groove depressed below the general outer surface of said body portion and located immediately adjacent said conoidal head and with longitudinal, similarly depressed grooves opening into said annular groove, the internal cavity of said catheter at the head end being increasingly reduced in diameter toward said head.

In testimony that I claim the above, I have hereunto subscribed my name in the presence of two witnesses.

CHARLES A. RUFLIN.

\Vitnesses:

JOHN H. BISHOP, WVILLIAM H. MILLER.

Copies of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressing the Commissioner of Patents. Washington, I). G. 

